Interesting Facts about the Riviera $20 Silver Strike

The Riviera $20 silver strike was minted by Letcher Mint in 1995. The sample was approved on 07/14/95 and the quantity approved at that time was for 1,010 strikes. The description of the strike under “remarks” is/was “The Entertainment Center of Nevada”. All of the above information was taken from the 1995 Nevada Gaming Commission Chip / Token Approval List.

Letcher Mint (LM mint mark) subsequently changed their to Global Mint (G mint mark). The Nevada Gaming Commission gave Global Mint a variance so they could continue to use the LM mint mark on existing dies.

Now comes the interesting part – The Obverse Eagle design used on the Riviera $20 strike is the “Official Emblem of Syria”. The text inside the banner below the eagle tail feathers is written in Arabic, and translates to “The Syrian Republic”. The Gaming Commission should have listed the obverse design in the “remarks” column. The inscription on the reverse side below “Riviera Hotel Casino” is “The Entertainment Center of Las Vegas, Nevada”.

The Westward-Ho also had a $20 Eagle design minted in 1995 with the LM mint mark, however the obverse Eagle design is different. It was listed under the “remarks” column as “Eagle”. Limited Edition Collector Series” Strike and was approved 07/03/95.